About Us
Our Mission
Ensuring Asian families and communities have equitable access to resources and opportunities to thrive.
About Us
Unitedly is a community hub in San Mateo County dedicated to ensuring Asian families have the resources, services, and opportunities they need to thrive.
Unitedly began with founder Alyson Suzuki’s personal experience helping her Chinese-speaking parents navigate systems that were never built for them. She soon realized that many other families in the County were struggling with the same obstacles—language barriers, cultural disconnects, and systemic gaps that left them feeling invisible
Today, Unitedly transforms that lived experience into action—mobilizing direct services, cultural and linguistic support, and authentic community engagement. Unitedly's vision is strong, resilient communities where every family is supported and the next generation leads with confidence, purpose, and the skills to create lasting change.
Our Story
Unitedly was founded in San Mateo County to help identify and address systemic inequities, which have led to the invisibility of Asian residents and prevented them from accessing essential social services and the resources necessary for full engagement in their community.
Founder Alyson Suzuki noticed that many services in San Mateo County were not offered in a wide array of languages that reflected the diversity of the County. She saw the detrimental impacts of this firsthand when she supported her parents, who are disabled and monolingual Chinese.
As she helped her parents navigate the County systems and resources, she noticed that there were many other families like hers who were struggling because of the lack of services and resources available in their home language and culture.
This was especially apparent during COVID-19, when many resources were not offered in Asian languages even though Asians represent over 31 % of the County’s population.
These systemic issues are largely caused by the absence of Asian language access to resources and opportunities and the lack of authentic engagement and data collection methods to identify true community needs.
With the rise of Asian hate crimes, racism and xenophobia, these practices further separates and prevents Asian residents from participating in their community.
Alyson’s vision for Unitedly is to provide cultural and linguistic partnerships with Asian communities to heal racial trauma, provide services for unmet needs, and advance communities by bridging understanding and creating community-centered solutions.
Alyson and her mother, Lin. Lin was the inspiration behind creating Unitedly.
Our Values
We believe that all Asian families have the right to services in their community that are culturally and linguistically responsive to their needs.
We believe in amplifying the voices of Asian families so that all communities can fully contribute towards a stronger society.
We value inclusion and equity and believe that our diverse communities are strengthened because of our differences.
We believe in understanding the uniqueness, history and values of Asian cultures.
We believe that all generations can strengthen society if they have access, resources and opportunities.
We believe in partnering with others and working with cultural humility.
Alyson Suzuki
Founder and President of the Board
AlysonS@Unitedly.org
Alyson Suzuki is a first-generation Chinese-American community champion who is passionate about making sure all families have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Raised in a low-income household by immigrant parents in New York City, she knows first-hand how much access and community support can change a family’s future.
As the founder of Unitedly, Alyson’s vision is to create a central hub that supports underserved families with culturally responsive services, language access, and equitable opportunities. With over 25 years of experience in education, social services, and nonprofit leadership, she has guided large organizations, led systemic change, and launched programs that continue to make a difference today. She helped found the Peninsula Family YMCA’s Child Care Center in South San Francisco and the Multimedia Business Program in NYC, which served hundreds of underserved families during its time.
Alyson also serves as Co-Chair of the Chinese Health Initiative of San Mateo County, working alongside local government, community organizations, and residents to expand access to health and mental health services for Chinese residents. She has served on the boards of the YMCA of San Francisco and Marin, and Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS).
Outside of her professional work, Alyson is a proud basketball mom. Whether she’s cheering from the bleachers at their games or watching the pros play, basketball has been a source of joy, connection, and inspiration for her family. Her advocacy extends off the court as well—Alyson is deeply committed to championing children with disabilities and special needs. A graduate of Parents for Change, a program of Parents Helping Parents, she works to remove language, cultural, and systemic barriers so every child—regardless of ability—can learn, grow, and truly belong.
Alyson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Strategic Human Resources Management, and has been honored with the California Governor’s Scholarship for Women in Public Service. She is a graduate of the Redwood City–San Mateo County Leadership Program, the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute, and a member of The National Society of Leadership Success and the San Mateo County API Caucus.
Conny Zhu
Community Services Coordinator
ConnyZ@Unitedly.org
Conny is a resident of San Mateo County. She has more than 15 years of experience working in non-profit agencies. Her expertise is with program startup, management, planning and implementation utilizing multiple funding sources. Her diverse experience also includes providing training and consultation services to family child care business owners. She is a certified trainer for the Preventive Health and Safety training as well as a national recognized business training series designed specifically for family child care business owners by All Our Kin. She has more than 10 years of experience in delivering training to monolingual Chinese speaking immigrants who are either parents or child care educators.
Conny is the Child Care Provider Services Manager at Wu Yee Children’s Services in San Francisco. Her current role is to support in-home child care educators to launch, operate, retain and/or expand their child care business. Conny holds a BA in Psychology from UC Davis.
As a first-generation college graduate raised by low-income immigrant parents, she is committed to serving underserved communities. Conny came to the U.S. when she was 18 years old and spent one full year learning English and working to support herself to live and adjust to the new environment. She felt very lost in her first year in the U.S. as she didn’t know what to do to plan for her education. Fortunately, she was connected to different community resources in San Francisco and received counseling services from the City College of San Francisco. With all the support she had from the community, she applied and received financial aid to complete her college degree. Because of her personal life experience, Conny has a deep understanding of all the challenges many immigrant families are facing and truly believes in how people’s lives can be changed with timely support from the community.
Unitedly’s Board of Directors
Unitedly has a dedicated Board of Directors with extensive experience designing, implementing, and leading nonprofit and business programs and supporting Asian and immigrant communities. Board members were raised in immigrant households themselves or supported families and community members with accessing similar agencies like Unitedly. Through these experiences, they understand the impact an agency like Unitedly has on families and the greater community.
Cheryl Horney
Vice President
CherylH@Unitedly.org
Cheryl Horney lives and works in the Bay Area. She has worked in nonprofit organizations for nearly two decades. She has served as a Non-Profit Administrator for over a decade and has worked for Wu Yee Children’s Services in San Francisco for the past 13 years. Previously she worked with all families that were experiencing homelessness in Boston as an early education teacher. She has spent her entire career supporting families, many of them newcomer and immigrant families. She has listened to the stories of many families and community members and has worked to be an ally and co-conspirator in supporting them in finding their voices and their own agency.
She holds her Bachelors in History from Boston University and her Master’s in Education from San Francisco State University. She is familiar with the nonprofit leadership sector and has volunteered with nearly a dozen organizations over the past 25 years. She has served on 5 nonprofit boards including the California Association for the Education of Young Children, a state-wide membership organization, The Women’s Building of San Francisco, and the East Bay Association for the Education of Young Children. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the San Francisco Child Care Planning Advisory Council (SFCPAC), the Chairperson of the Workforce Committee for SFCPAC, and the Chairperson of the Title 5 Contractors Committee for SFCPAC. Additionally she is currently serving as the Treasurer of Lotus Bloom Family Resource Center in Oakland and the Vice President of Operations of Unitedly. She has a passion for supporting gender and racial equity.
Dr. Melinda Day
Board Member
When asked why Dr. Day wanted to join Unitedly, she shared, "I stand with Unitedly because I believe in Dr. Martin Luther King's quote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Unitedly is working to address the exclusion of Asian communities and the invisibility of these communities in the resources and opportunities needed to flourish. Language access and representation in education and health care is a fundamental human right. Until all families have equitable access to these essential services, we cannot honestly claim to live in a just and inclusive society. Unitedly's mission resonates with my core values, and together, we can create a world where everyone, regardless of their background, has an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed."
Dr. Day has over 20 years of experience in organizational development and nonprofit leadership.
A former resident of San Mateo County, she spent more than ten years working in the early childhood education systems in the Bay Area. Dr. Day has built comprehensive systems across government agencies and community organizations to address access and quality of early care and education. Her deep commitment to the children, families, and educators in the Bay Area has included serving as tenured faculty and department program coordinator at Cañada College, where she developed strategies to support student enrollment and retention in certificate and degree programs.
Dr. Day is currently the Chief Impact Officer at Food Bank of the Rockies. In this role, Dr. Day steers organizational strategy, developing benchmarks and key performance indicators to measure impact.
Dr. Day received her BA in Child Development from Tufts University and her Master's in Public Health focused on Maternal and Child Health from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She completed her Ph.D. in Child and Family Studies at Syracuse University. Her dissertation focused on race and ethnic stereotype formation and teacher training.
Dr. Mia Karamatsu
Board Member
Dr. Mia Karamatsu is a pediatric emergency physician and advocate for health equity with over 15 years of clinical experience serving children and families across the Bay Area. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and is an attending physician in the Stanford Pediatric Emergency Department.
A longtime champion for underserved communities, Dr. Karamatsu brings both clinical expertise and a deep commitment to equity-driven systems change. As Director of Well-Being for the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Stanford, she leads initiatives focused on sustainable careers in healthcare. She is actively involved in a local child advocacy coalition and serves on the executive committee of a program that promotes early literacy among young children—work that reflects her belief in the power of upstream, culturally responsive solutions.
Before joining Stanford, Dr. Karamatsu spent a decade practicing at UCSF Children’s Hospital in Oakland and California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, caring for families from diverse backgrounds across the region.
As a board member of Unitedly, Dr. Karamatsu draws on her professional experience and personal roots to advance health equity, language access, and culturally responsive care for Asian communities across the Bay Area.
Mina Kim
Board Member
Mina Kim, Professor and former chair of the Department of Elementary Education at San Francisco State University, has an established expertise in the field of Early Childhood Education. She is a coordinator of the undergraduate early childhood education program and co-coordinator of a master's in early childhood education at SFSU. Dr. Kim is also a lead faculty who developed a new PK-3rd Grade ECE Teaching Credential at SF State.
As a teacher educator, Dr. Kim is interested in female teacher identification formation that will impact ECE teacher preparation programs and culturally marginalized ECE teachers in society. Her most recent study involves enhancing teachers’ understanding and knowledge on inquiry-based curriculum, particularly teaching math and science to young children. For the past fifteen years, she has been working on promoting inquiry-based math and science for young children and ECE teachers and has published several articles on these topics. She has participated in multiple presentations and has many publications focused on issues of early childhood curriculum development, paying specific attention to teacher action research, issues of inquiry-based math and science instruction, integrated dual language learning, integrated curriculum, and multicultural perspectives. She has been serving as a chair of Action Research Community_Early Childhood Education at Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) for the past thirteen years. She has served on two early childhood teacher education journal editorial boards, in which she reviews articles related to educational action research, ECE teacher education and integrated inquiry-based curriculum.
Unitedly’s Advisory Committee
Unitedly’s Advisory Committee serves as a vital partner in advancing the organization’s mission. Members provide expertise, insights, and advocacy that strengthen Unitedly’s programs and expand its impact. Each member is carefully selected for their leadership, community service, and professional knowledge. Together, they play an important role in guiding initiatives, building partnerships, and uplifting Asian families and communities across San Mateo County.
Phoebe Venkat
Phoebe Shin Venkat has lived in Foster City, CA with her husband and son since moving from the East Coast in 2014. Phoebe was born and raised in New Jersey by her single immigrant mother. She attended public schools through high school before graduating from Boston University. Phoebe is a second-generation Chinese American, and the first person in her family to graduate from college.
Phoebe has been serving the local communities she lives and works in for the majority of her life. Public service became an even higher priority to Phoebe after she survived life-altering medical issues related to contracting COVID-19 in the pre-vaccination days.
As a councilwoman and former planning commissioner in Foster City, Phoebe has a consistent track record of driving equitable and data-driven outcomes. She serves as the vice board chair of CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse) and previously was treasurer and finance committee chair. As a domestic violence survivor, this work is especially meaningful to Phoebe. She is on the executive board of the San Mateo County Asian American Pacific Islander Alliance. Phoebe also volunteers with Foster City Village to help local seniors age in place.
Community and bridge building are the glue throughout Phoebe’s life. Her career has focused on building indispensable communities at global companies including Salesforce, Facebook, Okta, and Bloomberg.
Unitedly’s Youth Advisory Committee
Unitedly’s Youth Advisory Committee serves as a key partner in shaping the organization’s vision for equity and inclusion. Members bring fresh perspectives, leadership, and lived experiences that strengthen Unitedly’s programs and ensure youth voices are at the forefront. Each member is selected for their commitment to community service, passion for advocacy, and ability to inspire their peers. Together, they play an important role in guiding initiatives, fostering youth leadership, and uplifting Asian families and communities across San Mateo County.
Koji Suzuki
Youth Services Program Coordinator
Koji Suzuki is a high school student-athlete and serves as Unitedly’s Youth Services Program Coordinator. A dedicated basketball player and team captain at Hillsdale High School, Koji currently plays for Bay Area Impact and Flyers, and previously played for Rush and Renegades AAU teams.
Koji helped create Game Changers, Unitedly’s basketball-based youth leadership program, inspired by his own experiences and the need to bring visibility to AANHPI student-athletes in San Mateo County. In his role, he supports program development, represents the voices of youth, and helps lead activities that strengthen identity, leadership, and community service.
Passionate about using basketball as a tool for connection and growth, Koji hopes to continue building spaces where young people feel seen, supported, and empowered to lead change.
Ryu Suzuki
Youth Services Programs Associate
Ryu Suzuki is a middle school basketball player who competes for his school team, the Japanese Youth Organization (JYO), and Bay Area Impact AAU. As Unitedly’s Youth Services Associate, he supports social media and partnership development, contributing ideas and strategies that help elevate youth voices and strengthen community connections through the Game Changers program.
For Ryu, basketball is more than just a game—it’s a way to build teamwork and confidence. He is also committed to giving back to the community and supporting others who need help, and through Game Changers he hopes to grow as a leader while encouraging his peers to create a positive impact.
Unitedly’s Leadership Circle
Unitedly’s Leadership Circle serves as a critical community champion of the organization. Members of the Leadership Circle partner with Unitedly’s Executive Director and Board of Directors to serve as a volunteer advisory and working committee. Members are carefully selected for their expertise and community services. They play a critical role in uplifting Unitedly's mission through their professional expertise and diverse knowledge.
Sylvia Tang
Sylvia holds various leadership roles that include: San Mateo County Suicide Prevention Committee Co-Chair and Asian Pacific Islander Staff Affinity Group Core Team Member. She is currently a Community Health Planner at the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity. She has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Public Health from UC Berkeley and Master in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She practiced judo for over 12 years and is a second degree black belt, having competed at state and national levels for sparring and internationally for kata. Her passions also include singing, making photo books and being civically engaged.
Sylvia is excited to join Unitedly because she believes that with more basic needs met, Asian communities will have more capacity to heal from trauma, experience joy, and advocate for all marginalized communities.
Hana Ma
Hana (she/her) is a senior program officer at Sobrato Philanthropies, where she focuses on grantmaking that supports policy advocacy and systems change efforts that advance economic mobility. Her past jobs include being a fast-food worker, social worker, afterschool program coordinator, lawyer, and policy analyst. Having grown up in Taiwan and San Jose, her experience as an English learner helped shape her vision for a world where young people and their families have the support they need to thrive. Hana also serves on the board for Partnership for Children and Youth and PlayThrive, and is on the advisory board for 10,000 Degrees.
Hana lives in Redwood City with her husband and two high-energy and adventurous children. Her superpower is finding amazing places to eat wherever she ends up.
Men Chun Wong
Men Chun Wong (he/they) is a licensed psychotherapist and entrepreneur dedicated to increasing access to mental health care in the community. He maintains a thriving private practice primarily serving LGBTQ+ youth and adult individuals. Clients often seek him out due to shared intersectional identities and lived experiences. He has experience in community mental health in San Mateo County and a growing passion for consulting with colleagues and organizations across the county to improve service accessibility and capacity for communities he is most passionate about. Born and raised in the Netherlands by parents from Hong Kong, Men Chun brings a multicultural and multilingual lens to his work, speaking conversational Cantonese and is fluent in Dutch. Having witnessed the barriers his parents faced navigating life in countries where they didn’t speak the dominant languages, Men Chun deeply understands the importance of language accessibility. He is honored to join Unitedly’s Leadership Circle in support of its mission to bridge language gaps for Cantonese-speaking and broader Asian communities in the county and beyond.